What about a company makes them stand out as a good company?

(1) treating drivers professionally - you need to learn that we're the ones who really make the industry not the people in the office

(2) Good Equipment - This means that if a driver tells you or your shop that something isn't right it needs to be taken care of. That doesn't mean it has to be a brand new truck every year, but it does need to be quality you can depend on. Remember downtime doesn't just cost the company, it costs the driver

(3)Honesty - this somewhat goes back to treating the drivers professionally. We know the real world doesn't perfectly work with business models 100% of the time, and we can handle that. However; when things aren't going perfectly or something has gone wrong let the drivers know, don't make us find out the hard way.

(4) Competitive pay packages - We're out here to make a living the same as the reason you're sitting in the office. The "freedom of the open road" is a dream that most drivers will never realize as we don't own our own equipment. I find it funny some of the owners and high ups in a company will spend thousands on themselves (and yes they have the right to enjoy the fruit of their labor) right after telling how the company can't afford to give raises or better incentives to the drivers. You don't give prize winning hunting dogs or livestock the cheapest food and grain you can find, so why would you want to pay drivers (the people who actually do the work you get paid for) the lowest wages possible?

(5)Benefits - I am not just talking about dental, eye, and health. There are other benefits a company can offer such as how they outfit their tractors. Things such as APU's aren't really feasible from a company perspective due to the amount of downtime they can incur, and the fact that EPA regulations change so quickly that it becomes even more expensive trying to retrofit them to meet new standards. That being said things like inverts in the truck connected to deep cycle batteries (think I have the right term here) rather than just cheap junk batteries that go dead or bad from usage when the truck isn't running. I've even seen some companies outfitting their equipment with small fridges and microwaves. While I wouldn't suggest going that far for your average driver straight out of the mill it does say alot when you do it for the drivers who have driven some miles for you.

This list could go on and on, but what it will always boil down to is how the company treats the driver. Get rid of the office mentality which says "this would be a ###### fine company if it wasn't for those truckers." Also, have the drivers meet their fleet manager/dispatcher/load planner (whatever other terminology your company may be using) so they can know 1 another a little better, sometimes a face to face can solve issues and keep a driver you might be losing due to "lack of communication". Remember we're people from all walks of life out here, but we're not stupid. You start lying and treating us like crap we will discuss it with other drivers. No matter how much you spend on advertising your drivers and your equipment are the best you have for spreading the word about why somebody would want to drive for you.

 

#1 is the most important to me as well as some other drivers, others will undoubtedly care more about pay, I've even seen drivers who care more about equipment style. The truth is no 2 drivers can agree that the sky its blue or rain its wet. I'd say that what I listed is a compilation where from day to day your ideas may change, but they will remain important on some level.

 

Respect...

 

Respect, making you feel valued as an employee, consideration as an individual, NOT just a "driver". Makes you feel as if you are PART of the organization, not just a "part", to make THEM money.

 

I agree with the list, treating drivers like you value what they do. Equipment and pay are great also but these guys are gone from their families for how long and then get some crap from some one that slept in their own bed last night. Don't lick my boots but don't treat me like crap either.

 

For me it is fitting my values into the right company. Every driver has their own story of life and what drives them to do this. You need to find a company that fits into your life.